Literature

Read the Ender's Shadow Series

Commit a sonnet to memory

I have purchased and begun to read devour Shadow of the Hegemon, the first of the Ender's Shadow sequels. I am really enjoying it! Once again, I find that Card's fast-paced style of writing and the irresistible characters have overshadowed my natural tendency to become bored with political books. It's not exactly political in the traditional sense, but fantasy future-politics do comprise the majority of the plot. That, and the power struggles between the characters. Of course, as the characters are highly influential individual in this fantasy future-world, their struggles often manifest themselves into global politics.

Anyway, enough about that! I wouldn't be surprised if I finish this book before the end of the week... But I will probably postpone the second sequel just bit as I need to get situated for the new semester.

Also, I have a top contender for the Shakespearean Sonnet that I intend to commit to memory. If there are any suggestions out there of favorite sonnets, I would love to hear them. Otherwise, this is it. I may check my goal off the list, but I'm certainly not limiting myself to a single sonnet. In other words, I may pursue more memorization in the future.

Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck,
And yet methinks I have astronomy,
But not to tell of good, or evil luck,
Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons' quality,
Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell;
Pointing to each his thunder, rain and wind,
Or say with princes if it shall go well
By oft predict that I in heaven find.
But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,
And constant stars in them I read such art
As truth and beauty shall together thrive
If from thy self, to store thou wouldst convert:
Or else of thee this I prognosticate,
Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.

"The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar, familiar things new."